NORTH EAST driver Rob Bell was back on the box at the weekend after scoring another podium finish in the FIA GT Championship.

Driving the CR Scuderia team’s Ferrari GT2 F430 at Oschersleben, Germany, Bell and team-mate Andrew Kirkaldy crossed the line in third place.

The result was the perfect end to a tricky weekend for the team, which began with Kirkaldy crashing out during first practice.

With heavy damage to the right rear, the team worked late into the night to get the car ready for qualifying on Saturday.

Lining up fifth for Sunday’s race, Bell was the first of the two to take the wheel.

Making a strong start, he easily held his position as he began reeling in the Porsche of Richard Westbrook.

After the first stop, the team found themselves running third, with Kirkaldy at the wheel.

A strong stint made sure the position would go unchallenged, and when the safety car was deployed with 30 minutes of the race remaining, he chose the perfect moment to relinquish control to Bell.

Closing in on the second-placed car, it looked possible that Bell would be able to finish the race in second place, but a back-marker got in the way and scuppered the plans, leaving the team to settle for third.

“It was quite a fraught weekend for us,” a disappointed Bell admitted. “We were playing catch-up after the incident on Friday, because we had less track time than we would have liked.

“It is testament to the team that we could finish on the podium because, without their long hours of hard work, we couldn’t have got this result.

“The race was hard but good, the car was handling well and we have to be pleased that we got another podium.

“We are a new team in the championship and we have a lack of data for the circuits, which is why the practice sessions are really important to us.

“However, we are feeling positive for the next round and the Spa 24 hours should be a great challenge for us as a team.”